Swing hanger for railway trucks



July 19, 1932. H. T. CASEY SWING HANGER FOR RAILWAY TRUCKS Filed Oct.13, 1930 Patented July 19, 1932 UETE SATES HOWARD T. CASEY, OFBALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO T. H. SYMINGTON & SON, INCL, OFBALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MABYLAND SWING HANGER FOR RAILWAYTRUCKS Application filed October 13, 1930. Serial No. 488,499.

The invention relates to railway car trucks and has special reference tothat type in which the spring plank carrying the springs which supportthe bolster is itself mounted on hangers pivoted to the transoms, thisbeing the type of construction used in six wheel trucks for passengercars. a

It is Well known that in ordinary practice the hangers are soconstructed that the truck bolster may move laterally freely as is, de-'sirable when rounding curves. Furthermore as the movement of the fulcrumpoints beneath the spring plank is in an arc of a circle there is alifting effect exerted on the bolster which is supposed to counteract orneutralize the centrifugal force developed when the car passes overcurved track, which force is what moves the bolster laterally. Thehangers are ordinarily quite long and when depended in parallel relationthey give excellent riding qualities to a passenger car travelling onstraight track. However, upon striking a curve the above referred tolift or are of rise is insuiiicient to absorb the centrifugal forcedeveloped upon lateral motion of the bolster and consequently a distinctshock results. One attempted method of overcoming this difficulty wouldbe to shorten the hangers so that the arc of rise will be more abruptfor the purpose of increasing the resistance to the centrifugal force.The difficulty then is that the normal floating movement is insufiicientwhen the car is travelling on straight track and the ridin ualities areim aired.

it is with all of the above facts in view that I have devised thepresent invention which has for its general object the provision of anovel hanger construction in which there will be the same floatingaction or freedom of movement of the bolster under normal or straighttrack conditions combined with a more abrupt rise of the fulcrum pointsfor the spring plank, or more abrupt lifting of the bolster when thelateral motion thereofexceeds a predetermined degree so that thecentrifugal force will be entirely absorbed and without there being anyshock or 7 jar of any kind whatsoever.

An important object of the invention is to provide a suspension hangerembodying relatively Y movable parts and which under straight trackconditions operatesin the same manner as an integral hanger, the partshaving, however, relative movement when the car travels over curvedtrack, the relative movability providing the means for develop ing themore abrupt arc of rise.

Another important object is to provide a hanger of this character whichmay be used to replace the ordinary hanger without any changes in theconstruction of the truck other than the provision ofa pair of stops tocoact with one of the relatively movable sections or parts of eachhanger.

Another object is to provide a hanger construction of this characterwhich may be applied or installed with as much ease as one of theordinary type.

An additional object is to provide a hanger construction which will besimple, inexpensive to manufacture, positive in action, ei'ficient anddurable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

vTo the attainm-ent of the foregoing and other objects and advantages,the invention preferably consists in the details of construction and thearrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter morefullydescribed and claimed. and illustrated in the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross section through one side of a passengercar truck showing mynovel hanger installed, and

Figure 2 is a section taken on substantially the line 22of Figure 1. 7 7

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 10 designates theusual transom construction here represented as forming an integral partof the side frame and 11 represents the truck bolster which of courseextends across between the transoms with its ends projecting therebeyondin the ordinary manner. The bolster is supported by the springs 12 heredisclosed as of the elliptic type and which in turn rest upon thestantially U-shape with the bearing element 15 mounted in its bight andhas its upper ends pivoted on the transom at the top thereof.

In carrying out the present invention I replace the ordinary type or onepiece hanger with a sectional or two-part hanger indicated as a Whole bythe numeral 16 which is, however, mounted in the same manner. Thishanger 16 may of course be of any desired detailed construction but ishere shown as comprising a U-shaped lower member 17 including a bightportion 18 and upstanding arms bifurcated at 19 to provide pairs ofspaced cars 20. The lower ends of a pair of links 21 are received withinthe bifurcations 19 and are pivoted to the lower member 17 as by pins orthe like 22 which may be prevented from longitudinal displacement byanysuitable means, such as cotters or the like 23. At their upper endsthe links 21 are preferably enlarged to form bosses 24 through whichextends a supporting shaft, bolt or pin 25 which has its ends projectingbeyond the bosses and engaged upon seats 26 formed in the top surface ofthe transom. These seats operate to prevent longitudinal as well aslateral displacement of the member 25. g

It is of course apparent that the lower member 17 of the hanger iscapable of movement With respect to the links 21 though it is notdesired that this movement take place until the bolster 11 has movedlaterally to a certain predetermined extent. To insure proper action Ihave shown the transom as provided at opposite sides with pairs ofspaced stops 27 which may be integral with the transom if preferred butwhich can of course be formed as separate parts secured thereto if suchshould be desired for any rcason, for example when installing my hangerin an already existing truck. The space between the confronting faces ofeach pair of stops 27 is somewhat greater than the width of the links 21so that the links 21 and lower member 17 of the hanger may have swingingmovement through a certain arc while remaining in alinement, the lowermember 17 of course pivoting on the members 22 when the links 21 engageagainst one set or other of the stops, the lower member 17 then swingingin an arc of much less diameter.

In the operation of a truck embodying my novel hanger construction itwill be seen that as these hangers may conform to the standard lengththere will be the same freedom of movement or floating action of thebolster when the car is travelling along straight track as under suchcircumstances the links 21 do not engage the stops 27, therebypermitting the fulcrum members 15 to swing in the usual arc concentricwith the axis of the shaft or pin 25. The great advantage is that whenthe car travels over curved track the centrifugal force developed movesthe bolster to such an extent that the links 21 strike against the stops27, their movement beyond this certain predetermined point being thuschecked. When this occurs the lower member 17 of the hanger continues tomove but the are on which the fulcrum elements 15 then swing is muchmore abrupt as it is concentric with the members 22. This naturallyproduces a sudden rise and the increased lifting action exerted againstthe bolster and the load thereon will counteract or absorb thecentrifugal force so that there will be a total absence of any shock orjar at any point in the truck structure, thereby insuring the highlydesirable easy riding qualities of the car. Attention is directed to thefact that the hanger is of remarkably simple, construction, that it isrugged and durable and that it may not only be installed as easily asthe ordinary variety but may be assembled in an already existing truckwithout necessitating any changes in the construction thereof other thanproviding stops for coaction with the upper sections or links of thehangers. It is thought from the foregoing that the construction,operation and advantages should be readily apparent to one skilled inthe art without further explanation.

While I have shown and described the pre ferred embodiment of theinvention, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely anexemplifi'cation of the principles involved as the right is reserved tomake all such changes in the details of construction as 1-6:?

erally thereof, supportingmeans-for the bolj ster comprising a pluralityof connected parts movable as a whole for the first portion of theirtravel and relatively movable for the remainder of their travel.

2. Ina railway car truck including a lat- 1 eral motion bolster,supporting means for the bolster comprising hangers pivota-lly dependingfrom the truck and lncludrng sections swingable together about one axisduring the first portion of their travel and relatively 1' T movable forthe remainder of their travel.

3. In a railway car truck including transoms and a bolster movablelaterally thereof,

suspension means for the bolster comprising...

hangers pivoted with respect to the transoms and including pivotallyconnected parts, the hangers being swingable as a whole during the'firstportion of their travel and the parts thereof being relatively swingable.during the remainder of their travel.

4. In a railway car truck including transoms, a bolster, means forswingably supporting the bolster comprising a spring plank, springs onthe spring plank engaging the bolster, and hangers suspended from thetransonis at their upper ends and having a fulcrum connection with thespring plank, said hangers including relatively movable parts.

5, In a railway car truck, transoms, a bolster movable laterallythereof, and suspension means for the bolster comprising hangerspivotally suspended'from the transoms and including pivotally connectedsections swingable as a. whole during a portion of their travel, andmeans for holding certain sections of the hangers stationary afterpredetermined travel of the hangers as a whole.

6. In a railway car truck, transoms, a bolster movable laterally withrespect thereto, and supporting means for the bolster comprising hangerspivotally suspended from the transoms and including upper and lowersections pivotally connected, said sections being swingable as a wholeand in substantial alinement during a portion of their travel, and meanscooperating with the upper sections for limiting the swinging movementthereof.

7. In a railway car truck, transoms, a bolster movable laterally withrespect thereto, and supporting means for the bolster comprising hangerspivotally suspended from the transoms and including upper and lowersections pivotally connected, said sections being swingable as a wholeand in substantial alinement during a portion of their travel, and meanscooperating with the upper sections for limiting the swinging movementthereof while permitting continued swinging movement of the lowersections with respect to the upper sections.

8. In a railway car truck, transoms, a bolster movable laterally withrespect thereto, and supporting means for the bolster comprising hangerspivotally suspended from the transoms and including upper and lowersections pivotally connected, said sections being swingable as a wholeand in substantial alinement during a portion of their travel, and meanscooperating with the upper sections for limiting the swinging movementthereof while permitting continued swinging movement of the lowersections with respect to the upper sections, said means comprising pairsof spaced stops on the transoms spaced apart a distance greater than thewidth of the upper sections.

9. In arailwa-y car truck, transoms, a b01- ster movable laterally withrespect thereto, and supporting means for the bolster comprising hangerspivotally suspended from the transoms and including upper and lowersections pivotally connected, said sections being swingable as a wholeand in substantial alinement during a portion of their travel, theinitial movement being free and imparting gradual lift to the truckbolster, and means cooperating with the upper sections for limiting theswinging movement thereof and causing the lower sections to swing on amore abrupt tangential angle, thereby causing the bolster to lift byrelatively larger increments, thus giving it the ability to absorb greatenergy at the end of the swing of the lower element.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' HOWARD T. CASEY.

